Fathers Be Good To Your Daughters
by captaincoulson18
Summary: AKA the time Coulson secretly adopted Skye. A set of four vignettes spanning 11 years, starting at the pool scene at the end of Nothing Personal. This started out really silly and then became a weird mix of angst, silliness, and witty banter. Will update weekly.
1. Illegal Adoptions and Midnight Swims

"Hey, AC, question."

Phil looked up. He'd been staring at the aqua surface of the pool, his mind surprisingly blank.

"Yes, Skye?"

"Well, this has actually something that's been nagging at me for a couple days now…"

Uh Oh, Coulson thought.

"See, when I was wiping our identities clean the other day, I managed to catch a look at my official SHIELD registration profile. I'd never seen it before, and I just wanted to take a look at it before, you know, my 2 days as an agent were over."

"Hey, Skye, want to go for a swim? Let's go now!"

"Are you…trying to change the subject?"

"Nonsense! I just…I love to swim! Yeah, I really do!"

"AC, we don't even have swim suits!

"Are you kidding? I mean, look at me! I'm totally wearing my swim suit," he said, desperately, motioning toward his suit.

"Coulson, no."

"Coulson yes!" he said, and ran to jump in the pool, but not before grabbing Skye's hand.

"What the fu-" But before Skye could finish she and Coulson had landed with a splash in the crystal blue water.

Phil spat some water out of his mouth. "Wow! Isn't this refreshing?"

"Coulson! Stop it! Look at me!" Skye said, her makeup running all over her face.

"When I looked at the profile…it said my last name had been changed…to Coulson! I figured it was just a placeholder since I don't have a last name, but at the base Agent Koenig told me that it wasn't required for a SHIELD agent to have a last name…AC, did you adopt me…secretly?!"

"Maybe."

"Fuck, Coulson!"

"You take that back right now young lady! How dare you use that filthy language!"

"I can say whatever I damn well please! You can't tell me what to do, you're not my father!"

Phil smiled deviously, drops of water dripping from the tip of his nose. "Yes, actually, now I am."

"Damn you, AC. And how the hell is this legal? I'm over 18!"

"SHIELD agents have ways to get things done…"

"Wait, but SHIELD doesn't exist anymore! Does this mean I'm not adopted?"

"That is a very intelligent question Skye," Coulson said, knowing he had chosen his daughter well. "But even though I adopted you with SHIELD methods, the adoption isn't a SHIELD thing. My adoption of you is 100% government certified."

"Did you adopt FitzSimmons too?"

"Of course not! I only half adopted them."

"What?"

"As I said, SHIELD agents have ways."

"I can't believe this! You should have told me."

Coulson frowned bitterly.

"I knew you'd say no."

"Are you kidding me? Of course I'd say yes! I couldn't think of anyone else I would rather have as my father. I just, you know, like to be notified when I'm adopted…."

"R-really? So you're not mad?"

"No, I'm pissed, but not about you being my father, or FitzSimmons being my half-siblings. I-I like having a real family. Especially now that everything's so messed up…" She said quietly, looking at down at her soaking wet torso, small tears mixing with the water already on her face. She tried to suck them back in, feeling stupid for being so emotional, but before she could swear under her breathe at her tears, she felt herself wrapped in Coulson's arms.

"I love you Skye, and I will always be your family, no matter how horrible everything gets. And that's a promise."

"I love you too, AC." Skye said, smiling through her tears. "Just tell me you didn't adopt May."

Skye felt his body tense.

"G-d, no. Never. Oh and also, next time I see you holding hands with a boy without my permission your grounded. For life." Skye pulled away from the hug.

"That's real funny, AC. Real funny."

But Coulson's face was serious.

"I'm not joking."

Skye shook her head and walked away.

"AC, you are the worst dad ever."

"Oh, and make sure to brush your teeth before bed!"

"Go to hell, dad."

It wasn't perfect, Coulson thought. But he'd take it.


	2. Old Scars and Fancy Cake

Coulson opens the wooden door just a crack, and peeks into the room.

"What the hell! You're not supposed to see me before-Oh, thank goodness, AC, it's just you."

Coulson smiles, and walks in.

"You look gorgeous, Skye."

She can't help but blush a little.

"You look pretty dashing too…"

It's all Phil can do not to burst out laughing.

"You're kidding, right? Look at me. I look like Fury's right eye…"

"Oh come on, no one can look that bad. I bet Audrey thinks you look pretty handsome."

"That's only because she _has _to."

"Nonsense. Now stop fighting me. This is my day. What I say goes."

Phil rolls his eyes. As he runs his callused fingers through his graying hair, he can feel his age weigh upon him like his soaking suit did in that cheap motel pool so many years ago. He's not elderly by any standard, but he certainly isn't that young and fresh man he was when he first stepped foot into SHIELD academy. He feels his age now especially, looking at this radiant being in front of him. Her skin glows and she looks as happy as she did when everything was just beginning for her. It feels like a life ago, now, and although she seems to be the image of youth and beauty Coulson can see the age and scars in her eyes. It's in all of their eyes, now. How could it not be? But it's days like today that's helping them heal. And Skye, Coulson thinks, is beginning to heal, beginning to _bloom_, just like the little daisies interwoven into her dark hair.

"Hey, you okay? You zoned out for a little bit there."

"What? Oh, yes I'm fine. Just…lost in thought."

"I know the feeling. But try not to think too much today, alright?" she says, her voice tender. "Let's just….relax."

Coulson smiles.

"Can do, Skye."

Suddenly, Fitz comes racing through the door, moving exceptionally fast for a man who walks with a limp. _Another scar, _Coulson thinks.

"Ace is trying to eat all the cake!" _And another healing._

Fitz's suit is uncharacteristically neat and coordinated, and both Coulson and Skye immediately know it's Jemma's handiwork. Actually, the entire event is Jemma's handiwork. Without her organizing skills, Skye isn't quite sure just how the hell it would have all come together.

"You should start quick before he eats all of it!"

"Ah, let the kid do what he wants. We're not pretending to be all fancy here and whatever. And yes, Fitz, that means you can have some too." Skye says patronizingly.

"Well, if you say so…" Fitz says, and runs back out the door. "Hey Ace! Jemma! Wait for me!"

"I haven't seen him move that fast in years." Coulson says.

"Well you know Fitz, whenever food is involved he can't be stopped by anything. Even a bad leg."

A pleasant silence hangs in the air.

"We should start, Skye. We can't have them eating _all _the cake. I'm pretty sure May wants some too, and I'd hate to see her and Fitz fight over food."

Skye laughs, but it's nervous. She knows it's time, and butterflies of anticipation flutter in her stomach. She reassures herself, and takes a breath.

"I love you, dad," she says quietly.

"I love you too, Skye." Coulson says, his voice seeming to mourn the lives they're leaving (and have left) behind but excited for the ones they're beginning. He kisses her gently on the forehead, and offers her his arm. She takes it, and they both take a breath. They push open the doors together, and father and daughter walk arm in arm down the aisle.


	3. Quite the Conversationalist

Coulson walks quickly down the hospital hallway. It's 6am in the morning, and he hasn't had his coffee yet, but he's wide-awake. How could he not be? His stomach feels like a blender, its blade beating a mixture of excitement, joy, and anxiety. He wasn't exactly sure why he was anxious, as far as he knew everyone was healthy and nothing was wrong, but he couldn't help be nervous. Soon he reaches the correct room, and pushes open the door.

Skye smiles when he comes in.

"Hi AC," she whispers, her voice soft no doubt because of the baby sleeping in her arms.

"Hey Skye," he whispers back, approaching the hospital bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Great. Really great, surprisingly. I mean, I ache all over, but mentally I'm fantastic."

"Where's…"

"He's down in the food court. I sent him down to get me a chocolate bar a half-hour ago...I think he might have fallen asleep down there. It's been a long night, you know?"

"Yeah, I'll say." Coulson says, and he sits down on the edge of the bed. He looks at the little thing in Skye's arms and he feels himself begin to tear up.

"He's beautiful, Skye."

"I know. He's amazing." She says, her tone even softer than before.

"I'm so happy, AC. I never thought I could be this happy, after everything, but holding this kid, I am. He's perfect. I haven't even really met him yet, but I know he's perfect."

"May I…May I hold him?"

"Of course! You _are_ his grandpa."

_Grandpa. _Phil dislikes what the title says about his age, but he loves what it means for his life.

Skye hands him the baby, and he stirs a bit in Phil's arms. His eyes flutter open, and his brown eyes meet Phil's blue ones.

"Hello, little guy. I'm your grandpa."

The baby blinks, yawns, and goes back to sleep.

"Looks like we've got the quite the conversationalist on our hands, Skye."

She rolls her eyes.

"Hey, is Audrey going to be coming soon? I'd love for her to meet him."

"Yeah, she'll be here in a couple hours. Couldn't get out of rehearsal this morning…She's the soloist in an upcoming performance. Have you heard from FitzSimmons? Ace? Or May?"

"Yep. FitzSimmons are flying over, they should be here in a few hours. And as soon as May can get out of her meeting she'll be here too. And if I'm correct Ace told us he'll drive drown from college as soon as he gets the chance."

"Great! It's been too long since we've all been together."

"It's been 2 months, dad"

"Too long." Skye rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what are you thinking of naming him?"

Skye smiled bitter sweetly.

"I'm naming him Michael Grant. For friends lost and found and lost again."

"Always the sentimental one, aren't we, Skye?"

"Says the man who was just trying to convince me that 2 months might as well be a decade."

"Don't sass me or I'll make you name the baby Tony Stark."

"G-d, no. I don't want my baby to grow up to be an ass."

"Language! Do you want ass to be the baby's first words?"

"They were mine."

"How am I not surprised? Hopefully this baby will have better manners." Phil said, and kissed the baby on the forehead. "Here that, Mikey? I'm not going to let your Mom corrupt you."

"Yeah, and I'm not going to let you brainwash him with all your old-fashioned crap."

"My stuff isn't crap! And again, language!"

"Aww, be quiet. Now give me my computer. I want to upload some photos of him. Go tell him how Captain American once punched a tank or whatever."

"He never punched…" _Never mind, _Coulson thought. All was well in the world, and sometimes it was best to leave well enough alone. Coulson got up from his seat on the edge of his bed, kissed Skye's forehead, and went to sit down on the little hospital couch with the baby.

The child stirred in his arms once more, and his gaze again met Phil's.

"I love you, Michael Grant."

The infant sneezed.

Coulson laughed. "I'll take that as an 'I love you too.' Now, time for a story, did I ever tell you about the time Captain America signed my trading cards?"


	4. Family

AN: I am so, so sorry about how long this update took. And please, please don't murder me for how I ended this. It started funny and crack and I really don't know how it got here, honest.

* * *

The day was hot and breezy. It must have been at least 90 degrees outside, but the boy and man standing hand in hand were nevertheless wearing full suits. They always did, when they came here. Except for the chirping of birds and the sound of gentle breath the place was silent.

Phil Coulson studies his grandson. Of course, the little boy doesn't notice. He's too busy staring intensely at the thing in front of him. And Coulson is grateful. He wouldn't want the little one to see how he looks at him right now, how he's looked at him in secret for the entire past year actually. It's not pity in his eyes, but empathy, and a little bit of pain, too. He's felt what the boy is feeling, seen what the boy is seeing. And he knows what it feels like to be so you and confused and sad and aching all at once. It's not something he would ever wish on any child, especially on this one.

Suddenly, the boy looks at him, and Coulson immediately wipes the empathy and ache from his eyes.

"Gwandpa, do you hate Vickie?"

"What? Why would you say that?"

"'Cause of what happened when she got born."

Phil winces. He knew this would be coming one of these days. He squats, allowing him to be face to face with the kid.

"Let me ask you something, Mikey. Do you hate Vickie?"

"N-no! Of cou-wse not. I wuv Vickie. She's my baby sister!"

"Then why do you think I would hate her?"

"Well…I dunno…if mommy hadn't a' had her she wouldn't be…you know?"

Phil puts his hands on the 5 year old's shoulders.

"Mikey, if there's one thing you need to know about your mother, it's that she was full of love. And she _loved _children. And she loved you and she loved Vickie. Sometimes wonderful people just have horrible luck, and your mom was one of those people. But you know what, Mikey? Your mother died full of love, just like she lived."

Tears began to roll down his face, despite his willing them not to.

"And although it's sad, Mikey, although it's horrible, your mother died putting her love back into the world. And I don't think she'd have wanted to go any other way."

Phil could see the little boy trying to hold back tears.

"I wuved her a lot, gwandpa, do you think she knows?"

"Oh, she knows. And she knows I love her too. And she knows Vickie and Daddy and Uncle Fitz and Aunt Simmons and Uncle Ace and Audrey and Aunt May love her too. And she loves all of us back, okay?"

Tears began to spill down the child's face.

"I love you, gwandpa."

"I love you too, sport."

"Now tell me a story about her."

_Hmmm. _Phil thought. _There's a lot I could tell…_

He could tell him about the time she single handedly rescued him from HYDRA, or about the time they jumped out of the bus in Lola mid flight, or he could tell him about the time…And suddenly it came to him. He motioned for the little boy to come sit down in his lap.

"Did I ever tell you about the time that we had to live in a motel?"

The kid giggled through his fading tears.

"No!"

"Well we did. And even though our world was crumbling around us, your mom was smiling…."

And Coulson told him the story of how at the same time their world was ending their family was just beginning. They would spend a lot of time in front of that gravestone, telling stories and crying and laughing, but in the end it would be okay. Because they would always be family.


End file.
